“Mr. Fitzroy, Mr. Collins, Mrs. Collins, and Miss Bennet,” intoned the butler as the small group entered the drawing room, a room which Darcy recognized at once. The furniture, which for generations had decorated the rooms at Rosings, had not changed, whether he had existed or not. Although a little shabbier than he remembered, the grandiose wall hangings and brocade showed the wealth of the inhabitants of generations. While the furnishings appeared more tired than fashionable, this too matched the people spread throughout the room.
He first searched for Georgiana, his eyes scanning the room until he saw her speaking to an old woman. She was whispering and nodding, pointing to sketches, and seeming to describe them to the woman in the mobcap. He then looked around for his cousin Anne and Lady Catherine. His cousin was sitting on the “throne” as Richard had always called it, explicitly reserved for her mother, yet Lady Catherine was nowhere to be found.
“Mr. Collins, Mrs. Collins, Miss Bennet, how wonderful to see you again,” Wickham said, raising his glass in greeting. “And Mr. Fitzroy. How nice that you are well enough to join us.”
Somehow Darcy managed to maintain his composure at the sight of Wickham making himself so free in his aunt’s home.
Wickham said, “You will be relieved to know your fine horse was found wandering the back fields. He is currently stabled here at Rosings.”
“Yes. Miss Bennet informed me this morning.”
Mr. Collins interrupted. “We are honored to have been invited into your magnificent home, Miss de Bourgh. Might I present our guest? Mr. William Fitzroy of Pembrook in Salisbury, Miss Anne de Bourgh, the heiress of Rosings Park,and the daughter of Lady Catherine de Bourgh, my patroness.”
“And your horse may remain for the duration of your stay,” said his cousin Anne.
Darcy bowed, wondering at her stately mien. “It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss de Bourgh, and I thank you for your kindness. I am certain my horse is well-cared for. My father was a contemporary of Sir Lewis. I remember him often speaking of your father’s love of shooting—and his very fine pointer, Vulcan.”
Anne’s eyebrows raised at the mention. “Yes, sir. My father did have such a dog. He loved that beast. I thank you for the recollection.”
Her clipped tones surprised him, so much like his aunt, and he bowed again as she listened to the effusive praises of Mr. Collins.What an odd turn. Where is Lady Catherine?Hiding his eagerness to speak with Georgiana, he sat by Elizabeth and waited for an opportunity to engage his sister in conversation. Sitting beside the woman he loved was certainly no hardship.
“My dear,” Wickham said, drawing the attention of the room. “Play for us.”
Georgiana started. “Oh, I do not wish––”
“Yet I do.”
There was no mistaking the command in his tone. As Georgiana moved toward the instrument, Darcy forced himself to loosen his grip on the arm of the chaise.
Elizabeth’s questioning look made him ease the tenseness in his jaw and regulate his breathing. “Mr. Fitzroy, are you well?” she asked, leaning toward him.
“Yes, Miss Bennet. I ammanaging.”
“May I get you some refreshment?”
He turned back to the woman who only days before, in a different life, he had proposed to and been rejected by.Oh, Elizabeth. That I had been a better man. One who was worthy of you.
His thoughts were interrupted as the pleasant smile on Elizabeth’s face evolved to a grimace.
“What say you, Fitzroy?” Wickham asked.
Darcy schooled his features and exhaled. “Forgive me. I was not attending.”
“Would you not turn the pages for my wife while I speak with Miss Bennet?”
He was torn. An opportunity to speak to Georgiana but at the cost of Elizabeth’s comfort. Her look conveyed acceptance. “I will return shortly, Miss Bennet. Then we might renew our conversation from earlier.”
She nodded with a grateful smile. “That would be lovely.”
Darcy joined his sister, who was playing a somber piece, and turned the pages. At the end of the song, she bowed her head in his direction without making eye contact.
“I thank you, sir. You may now return to Miss Bennet.”
“Will you not play again? You play so passionately,” Darcy said.
“Thank you, but no. I am fatigued and must return to my aunt.”
The numerous questions Darcy wanted to ask her were forgotten at the mention of Lady Catherine. “Your aunt Lady Catherine de Bourgh is in residence? I had hoped to meet the illustrious woman.”
